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June 2004

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Backing up the front-line soldiers

Just a few months of helping women who were considering abortion overwhelmed the small group. "We realized that we didn't have enough resources amongst ourselves," Stephanie explained. As God opened the doors

Passion for babies, compassion for moms: a firm foundation for two decades of ministry

Close to home A step of faith It's a "God thing" The battle heats up A commitment to evangelism Backing up the front-line soldiers An example to the nation

to provide more resources, the group began a pregnancy help line and started offering pregnancy tests with the assistance of Dr. Ray Helston.

"Then we started talking about starting a crisis pregnancy center that would just be devoted to meeting these needs," Stephanie recalled. "The LifeSavers would touch the girls, bring them in to the CPC which would provide the pregnancy tests, the counseling, and then help move them on back into churches or where ever they needed to go to get support."

Steve and Stephanie organized an ad-hoc committee to establish the Bakersfield Crisis Pregnancy Center. Steve served as chairman of the committee. By late 1985, the CPC opened its doors to serve the pregnant women of the community.

Tim and Terri Palmquist, co-chairs of LifeSavers Ministries, at the LifeHouse pregnancy help center.

After the establishment of the CPC, the ministry of LifeSavers continued offering hope to the hopeless, but now the sidewalk counselors had a new resource to help encourage women to let their children live. "Sidewalk counseling has to be there or nobody is going to go to the crisis pregnancy center," Stephanie observed.

In the early days, "there was a cohesiveness between the CPC and LifeSavers; everybody was doing both," according to Carlotta.

In 1986, a young newlywed couple from Delano sensed God leading them to become involved in pro-life ministry. The couple first attended CPC training sessions to become counselors, but serious illnesses and hospitalizations interrupted their plans. "Isn't there some way we can reach out directly to women who are planning abortions?" the wife asked. The CPC directed the couple to LifeSavers Ministries. That couple, Tim and Terri Palmquist, today serve as co-chairman of LifeSavers Ministries.

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Return to June 2004 issue of In Touch With LifeSavers Ministries